finaglev.
/fᵻˈneɪɡl/, U.S. /fᵻˈneɪɡ(ə)l/ colloquial (originally U.S.).
intransitive. To use dishonest or devious methods to bring something about; to fiddle. Also transitive, to ‘wangle’, to scheme, to get (something) by trickery.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > act fraudulently, cheat [verb (intransitive)]
faitc1330
defraudc1384
to take (the) advantagea1393
false1393
halt1412
haft1519
juggle1528
wily beguile1550
foist1584
lurch1593
fog1621
imposture1624
rook1637
impone1640
cheat1647
chicane1671
humbug1753
fineer1765
gag1781
mountebank1814
jockeya1835
sniggle1837
barney1848
straw1851
honeyfuggle1856
skinch1891
finagle1926
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > treat fraudulently, cheat [verb (transitive)] > obtain fraudulently
wilea1400
lurch1530
fox1596
shirk1635
rook1647
trick1662
pigeon1675
sharp1699
cheat1712
fob1792
snakea1861
wangle1888
slip1890
finagle1926
skuldug1936
swizz1961
1926 in H. Wentworth Amer. Dial. Dict. (1944) 216/1 Finagle, U.S. political cant.
1954 J. B. Priestley Magicians vi. 120 All the time trying it on, fiddling and finagling, selling anybody out for fourpence.
1955 W. W. Denlinger Compl. Boston 173 Any attempt to fudge or finagle or to get ahead of the other fellow will be recognized by the judge for what it is.
1955 Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. No. 24. 164 Big business is trying..to phenagle us all out of a dollar.
1959 Spectator 11 Sept. 320/1 The Western members [of the Security Council] managed to finagle their resolution..out of reach of the Soviet Union's veto.
1966 Punch 28 Dec. 954/2 I soon finagled my way past the innumerable porters.
Derivatives
fiˈnagling n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > [noun] > action or practice of deceiving
swikingc1000
blindfolding?c1225
deceivancec1330
trechettingc1330
jugglingc1380
beguilingc1400
deceivingc1400
fagec1400
delusionc1420
sophisticationc1450
circumvention1534
illudinga1547
cheateryc1555
cheatingc1555
crossing1592
tricking1595
wiling?a1600
circumventing1603
practice1622
cheat1641
deluding1645
underdealing1649
amusement1658
conveyancing1676
bubbling1700
jockeyshipa1763
overreachinga1774
jockeying1779
beguilement1805
gaggery1819
trickstering1821
Jewing1842
wool-pulling1843
rigging1846
hoodwinking1858
old soldierism1866
old soldiering1867
fiddling1884
gold-bricking1901
wangling1911
finagling1926
hyping1968
1926 M. Anderson & L. Stallings What Price Glory? 111 I'm a weary man, and I don't want any finnagelling from you.
1933 ‘P. Cain’ Fast One (1936) vii. 250 Turn her over to me in the open and without any finaygling.
1936 Writer's Digest Oct. 4 Discounting any possible editorial finageling..the solid fact remains that opposing politically minded people do cancel subscriptions.
1941 Time 9 June 19/3 Months of diplomatic finagling necessary to interview key men.
1941 Word Study Nov. 1/2 Variety..insists on describing Bergen's high art [sc. ventriloquism] as ‘tonsilar phenagling’.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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